Apparatus for the decoration of articles



G. PICARD March 15, 1960 APPARATUS FOR THE DECORATION OF ARTICLES FiledNOV. 16, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 GASTON PICA-RD BY ATTORNEYS March 15,1960 e. PICARD 2,928,368

APPARATUS FOR THE DECORATION OF ARTICLES Filed Nov. 16, 1956 5Sheets-Sheet IN VEN TOR. GASTON PICARD flaw/0M4 ATTORNEYS March 15, 1960APPARATUS Filed Nov. 16, 195s G. PICARD 2,928,368

FOR THE DECORATION OF ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

GASTON PICARD BY ATTORNEYS States APPARATUS FOR THE DECORATION OFARTICLES Gaston Picard, La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, France, as-

signor to Societe Anonyme des Glaces et Protluits Chimiques deSaint-Gobain, Chauny et Cirey, Paris, France The present inventionrelates to the decoration of' articles, for example, glass plates ordishes.

It is well known to use in the decoration of articles with enamel orpaint a screen enabling to obtain a predetermined pattern or design. Butwith this method of decoration it is not possible to obtain constantly asharp separation line between the decorated and non-decorated surfacesof the articles. This is due to the difficulty encountered in theapplication of a rigid screen on articles which have not always regularsurfaces and are not identical from one to another.

This invention has for its object to provide a method by which suchdifficulties are avoided. The method according to the invention consistsin that the decorative material, enamel for example, is applied on thewhole surface, and thereafter removed with a rotating rubber or buttingtool in predetermined regions in order to obtain the desired design..Subsequently the enamel is baked or the article submitted to alltreatment necessary to achieve the decoration. v

The rotating rubbing member can be made, for. example, of brushes, inparticular metallic brushes, with wires or threads-of other materialradially mounted around the axle of rotation. by discs of a supplematerial, as felt.

The rubbing member is rotated at high speeds, for example 1200 rotationsper minute. The active peripherical surface of the rubbing member may becylindrical or of any convenient shape or contour adapted to the form ofthe article. The peripheral contour can be cut on the rubber by rotatingit in contact with a tool of a corresponding form.

With enamels having a resinous base it is possible by the methodaccording to the invention to obtain patterns or designs with sharplydelimited regions in utilizing a metal brush Whose flexibilityascertains a good contact between the brush and the surface.

With enamels having as base a mixture of water and alcohol good resultsare obtained with a felt disc.

The article covered with the decorative material can be placed on arotating support and the rubbing member can be brought into contact withthe article. It is also possible to place the article on a fixed supportand to move the rubber around the article according to the pattern ordesign which is to be produced.

The method according to the invention enables to decorate articles ofrevolution as plates for example and also articles which are not ofrevolution as dishes oval or rectangular, etc.

The present invention has also for its object to provide an apparatusfor carrying out the method according to the invention. tating supportfor the' articles, rotating rubbing tools and means enabling the rubbingtools to be alternatively brought into contact with and separated fromthe articles.

The following description is given as an example and relates to anapparatus for the decoration of plates on which two concentric rings areproduced by removing the It may also be constituted a This apparatusincludes essentially a'ro- 2,928,368 Patented Mar. 15, 1969 ice coveringenamel on the one hand, along the edge of the plate and on the otherhand round the bottom at the '2 rigidly locked with a vertical shaft 3rotating into a sleeve 4 fixed at 5 on the frame of the apparatus.

The shaft 3 is operated by a toothed wheel 6 which meshes with anothertoothed wheel 7, the gearings permit that the wheel 6 execute tworotations while the wheel 7 executes only one rotation. The shaft 8 onthe toothed Wheel 7 is rotated by an electric motor 9 operating by abelt 10, an endless screw 11 which meshes a helical toothed wheel 12. Onthe shaft 8 are keyed the cams 13, 14 with cylindrical contour. The halfcontours 15, 16 of these cams are of revolution around the axle of shaft8, while the complementary half-contours 17 and 18 16 are alwayssituated on the opposite sides of a plane containing the axle of shaft8. In the position shown on Figs. 1 and 2 this plane has four traces X XY Y Two plungers 19, 20 maintain the rollers 21, 22 against the cams 13and 14 by means of coil springs 23, 24-. These plungers are provided, ona portion of their length, with a toothed face 25, 26. The plungersslide in the supports 27, 28, 29, 30 fixed to the frame of theapparatus.

The rectilinear gearing 25 meshes with a toothed wheel 31 placed in ahorizontal plane, coaxial to a vertical column 32 rotated by the toothedwheel. The column rotates by means of bearings and abutments in ahousing 33. On the column is tightened a sleeve 34- on which is bolted acorner 35 supporting an electric motor 36 with a vertical orapproximately vertical shaft, which operates the brush 37 1 Similarly,the rectilinear gearing 26 meshes with a toothed wheel 36% forming apart of an assembly constituted by'two toothed wheels 38, 39,schematically represented on Fig. l by circumferences in dotted'linesand repby collars tightened on a fixed column 45 resting. in 46 on theframe of the apparatus; On such column is tightened, at adesired'height, a sleeve 47 similar to the sleeve 34 of the column 32,comprising a rotating shaft 48 (Fig. 6) around which can swing a lever;the arm 49 of the lever constitutes the support of a motor 50 operatinga brush 51 and the arm 52 operates by rods 53, 54, 55 the up and downmotions of a cap, 56 cooperating with the support 2 to assure a goodposition of the plate 1 during the operation.

The oscillating movement of the lever is controlled by a rectilineargearing 59 of the rod 43 meshing with. a toothed wheel 60, fixed to saidlever.

The cap 56 is pressed on the plate 1 by a helical spring 62 exercising adownwards thrust on an element 63 rotating into the sleeve 64, enablingthe cap 56 to follow the plate in rotation.

The working of the apparatus is as follows:

According to the disposition of the elements described,

when the rollers 21, 22 are simultaneously geared by the cylindricalcontours of revolution 15, 16 of thecams 13, 14, the plate 1, resting onthe support 2, under-j goes the pressure of cap 56 and, on the otherhand, the brushes 37 and 51 are in touch with the portion of :plate tobrush. After a half-turn of the cams the plate has accomplished a wholerotation, and the brushing work is achieved. During the second half turnof the cams, the plungers 19 and 2t acted upon by the nonrevolutioncontours-17 and 18 of said cams'produce respectively a rotation of agiven angle ofthe column 34 so that the brush 37 is separated from theplate, arid 'an' oscillating movement of the lever49; 52 so that thebrush 51 is separated from the plate and the cap 56 is lifted up.

' cam shaft connected to the first shaft to rotate at synchronismtherewith, a cam on the cam shaft, a cam follower engaging such cam,andlinkage means connecting the cam follower to the motor, whereby tomove the motor and thebufiing tool mounted thereon generally 7vertically toward and away from the article as the article During thishalf turn the plate 1 is removed and replaced by a new plate and theprocess start again as described.

WhatI claim is: 1. An apparatus for'the decoration of articles such asglass plates having one surface covered with a decorative coating, whichcomprises a drivenfirst shaft, means to drive the first shaft, asupporting means for the article mounted transversely thereto on one endof the first shaft, a support disposed close to the first shaft, a motormounted on the support, said motor having a driven, second, shaft abufiing tool on the second shaft, said tool being adapted to remove thedecorative coating from rotates. T a

, 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the linkage meanscomprises a first rack gear on the cam follower, a first pinion engagedwith the first rack gear,

an elongated verticallydisposed plunger extending along the column, apivotal motor supporton the column, the

given zones of the article, and means driven in synchronism withthefirst shaft .to move the motor and buffing tool to presentthelatterto the article in one portion of the cycle of the apparatus and toremove it from the article in another portion of the cycle oftheapparatus. 2, An. apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein themountedtransversely thereto on top of the first shaft,

the motor shaft is disposed vertically, and the motor and the buffingtool mounted thereon are mounted for movement generally horizontallytoward and away from the article.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2,whe'rein the motor is fast to thecolumn, is'mounted eccentrically thereon, and the column is oscillatableabout its axis to upper end of the plunger being eccentrically connectedto the motor support, a second pinion connected to rotate with the firstpinion, and a second rack gear: on the lower end of theplunger meshingwith said second pinion.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein one plunger rod isprovided to bring the rotating buffing tool to its working position andto actuate levers acting on an element adapted .to clamp the article onitsrotating support.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the clamping element inthe form ofa cap is driven by the 1 support is a vertical columndisposed parallel to thefirst V .shaft, wherein the supporting meansforthe article is levers by means of an elastic member exercising a downwards thrust on the article. a

13. An apparatus for the decoration of articles such as glass plateshaving one surface covered with an enamel coating, which comprises.adriven first shaft, means to drive the first shaft, a supporting meansfor the article mounted transversely thereto on oneend of the firstshaft, asupport disposed close to the first shaft, a motor 'mounted onthe support, said motor having a driven ,secondshaft, a batting toolonthe second shaft, said tool being adapted to remove the enamel-coatingbefore it is ,baked'from givenzones of the article; and means drivenmove the motor and the bufiing tool' mounted thereon toward and awayfrom the article.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support is a verticalcolumn disposed parallel to the first shaft, wherein the supportingmeans for the article is mounted'transversely thereto on top of thefirst shaft,

the motor shaft is disposed horizontally, and the motor and the huffingtool mounted thereon are mounted for movement generally verticallytoward and away from thearticle. V V V a f 5. An apparatus as claimed inclaim 4, wherein the in synchronism with the' first shaft to move themotor and buffingtool to present thelatter to the article in oneportionof the cycle .of the apparatusand to remove it from the articlein anotherv portion of thecycle of the apparatus. t t r 14. An apparatusaccording to claim 1,,wherein the buffing tool is constituted-by arotating brush provided with threads radially fixed on the rotation.axle.

. ;15.. An apparatusv according to claim. 1, :wherein the buffing toolis constituted 'by a rotating disc or supple material in particular afelt disc.

motor is pivotally mounted on the column so as to swing ina verticalplane, whereby to raise and lower the buifing tool relative to thearticle.

l 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5,.comprising, a

clamping means disposed above the first shaft and.

mounted for movement downwardlytoward and upwardly awayfrom the. articleto clamp it on the article supporting means and to release it,respectively, and means connecting the clamping means to the motor sothat the clamping means and the motor are raised simultaneously and arelowered simultaneously. r

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a cam shaft geared tothe first shaft to rotate in synehro-.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the to'ol'rotates aboutits a de at ahigh speed of the order of 1200 rotations per minute andeven greater.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the active surface of thetool is cylindrical.

18. An apparatus according to claim; 1, wherein the active surface ofthe toolis shaped according to the connism therewith, at least one camonrthe cam shaft, and a a cam follower engaged with the cam andconnectedto the motor whereby to move the motor and the buflingf tooltoward and away from the article in timed relation with the rotation ofthe article. V

8..An apparatus as claimed in claim '3, comprising a cam shaft geared tothe first shaft to rotate in synchronism therewith, a cam on the camshaft, a cam follower tour of the region of the article wherethedecorative coating is to be removed; 1 I

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